


Divination

by Hyfriancarousel



Series: Red shoes month 2020 [12]
Category: Red Shoes and the 7 Dwarfs (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Circus, Cards, Divination, Earrings, First Meetings, Fortune Telling, Gen, Inspired by The Night Circus, Magic, Perfume, Roses, Tarot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:28:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25865941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hyfriancarousel/pseuds/Hyfriancarousel
Summary: Pino gets pulled along as his brothers wish to take a break from work.
Series: Red shoes month 2020 [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1860025
Kudos: 7





	Divination

The triplets stopped working for a day. A break from all the inventing was apparently good for them and their creativity.

To Pino, it felt like wasting time. 

However, his brothers were very stubborn about this, so they went to the circus. Hooray.

There were tents placed all around, some meant for snacks, some for performers. The place resembled a carnival or a fair more than a circus. 

Noki and Kio went through each and every tent systematically, looking out for anything interesting that might catch their eye. 

Even though Pino would usually join in the excitement of his brothers, he just could not do so, tuning out most of what he was seeing and hearing.

His thoughts kept going back and forth between deadlines and unfinished machinery, cogs and motors, even wood they had forgotten to sandpaper this morning.

Why was he worrying so much?

The cheers of performers and audience alike caused him to stop in his tracks. He had been walking without destination, not really even looking where he was going. 

Not strange, since he had done that ever since they made it on the circus grounds. 

But where were his brothers?

Pino looked around, trying to spot the brown hats they were all known for sporting. The suspenders, the work gloves they never took off. But he only saw strangers passing by.

He'd gotten lost.

He tried calling out to his brothers, trying to hear or see any reaction from further away. Nothing. Only glances from strangers.

Pino stepped away from the crowd, trying to catch his breath. Trying to figure out what to do.

He could wait outside of the circus. But would his brothers realize he had done that? They might get worried. 

What should he do?

A voice called out to him, crystal clear.

“Would you like to lift the veil between today and tomorrow?”

Pino shuddered, facing the way the voice had come from.

“Excuse me?” He asked, almost a whisper.

He had stumbled upon a tent that was placed more to the side than the others, off from the so-called main road of the circus. 

It was covered in red roses. They were growing everywhere; wrapped around the tent, covering the furniture and a sign right above Pino's head. 

Inside, within the roses sat a man behind a dark, gothic table. His earrings reflected blue against red. He held a pack of cards.

"My apologies," He smiled at Pino. "I didn't mean to frighten you." 

Pino waved at him awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Trying to leave now would be too rude.

He should have kept walking.

The man's smile became toothier.

"My name is Jack." He tapped the pack of cards in his hands. “I can read your future, if you so wish.”

Pino scrunched his nose. Fortune-telling?

“I am a man of science!” He said, raising his arm.

Jack's smile fell, forming into a line. He started shuffling the cards in his hands.

“Good for you."

Well, that was supposed to be Pino's triumphant exit. He let his arm drop down, still unsure of what to do. 

Well, there was one option.

He took a step into the tent. It smelled of perfume. Maybe it was just the roses?

Jack's smile returned. Whether it was the smile of a scammer or a genuinely happy person, Pino couldn't tell. He slowly made his way to a free chair.

“Usually Kio would be the one getting distracted like this," He mentioned as he sat down. 

Perhaps it was destiny? He just happened to stumble across this very tent after being separated from his brothers? Sounds very fate-like.

“Perhaps it was fate," Jack said.

Did the man just read his mind? If he could do that, perhaps Pino should try to think polite thoughts at him.

"I...uh," he started, "I like your roses."

"Why thank you. Our magician gave me some help. He's a gem." Jack eyed their surroundings. "Quite eye-catching, aren't they?"

"Yes…" 

Even though Pino hadn't even noticed them before snapping out of his thoughts. He really should start paying more attention to his surroundings.

Jack shuffled the cards once more before laying them all out on the table face down. The backs of the cards were decorated with patterns of silver.

Jack looked up at Pino.

"Point one out, please."

Pino pointed to the third one on his right, not really thinking about it. Jack moved that card away from the others. He took the rest and shuffled them. 

Was this how card readings were supposed to be done?

Jack placed four cards next to the lonely card, creating a line.

He flipped them all over.

The card that Pino picked had ten sticks pictured on it. At least that's what they looked like.

"The ten of wands," Jack said. "You work a lot, and it’s giving you monetary and emotional gain. However, It is weighing on you."

He placed his hand over the card, tracing its edge with his fingers.

"Basically, your responsibilities are overbearing." He smirked. "Does that sound accurate?" 

Pino became a little pale. When picking cards, there was a chance to stumble on something that fit, that matched. But he also believed coincidences didn't exist.

There was always a reason. Right? 

He nodded to the fortune-teller. Jack answered by shifting his hand to the next card. This one drawn with seven circles.

"The seven of coins." Jack traced its edge. "To resolve this issue, you must have patience. You cannot exhaust yourself when inventions don't work immediately." 

A cold chill went down Pino's spine. He hadn't said anything about inventing anything. He didn't even mention he could build things. 

Perhaps his attire gave him away? It was telling. He kept eyeing the cards. Red roses were poking out from the side of the table.

Jack pointed to the next card. He raised his brows.

"Your creative juices have run dry. Something or someone has flipped over the figurative cup of creative flow."

The Ace of cups, which was reversed, seemed to stare at Pino. The card didn't even have eyes.

"You feel unmotivated." Jack added.

"Well, I got that." Pino scratched his head nervously. All of this was fitting with his situation to a T, more than a simple horoscope.

Jack smiled as he moved to the fourth card on the line. His eyes widened.

"Is something wrong?" Pino asked.

"Justice." Jack said. "Her rightful hand casts judgment on you. A warning to change your ways before it's too late." 

He tilted his head. His earrings shifted position. He raised his gaze once more.

"If you keep going down the path you're on," He picked up the card and turned it. "You will never invent anything again."

Pino's stomach turned. That answer was unacceptable. He refused to believe it. There can't be a world where he cannot create!

He stood up, slamming his hands on the table. Surprisingly, the cards didn't flutter around. They didn't even move.

"What should I do, Jack?"

Jack stared at him before turning his gaze back to the table.

"There is one card left," he said, "The Hierophant. Another major arcana."

Pino looked at the table. The card faced him upside down.

Reversed.

"He asks you to rebel, to break the rules." Jack touched the card's edge. "The way things are now is not beneficial to you or anyone else. You must change how you work, how you invent.

Pino dropped back onto the chair. It creaked from the sudden pressure.

"Change how I invent…" He repeated.

Jack collected the cards one by one and shuffled them back into his deck. Pino stared at the changing position of each card, how Jack used them like playing cards.

He sighed.

"Can't you give me anything more concrete?"

The sound of shuffling a deck of cards was pleasant, almost relaxing. Jack didn't look up at him anymore.

"Predicting the future is vague. It all can change in an instant." He threw the cards on his right hand.

"That is its beauty."

Pino looked at the table. Change how you invent? Break the rules? Interesting advice from a possible conman.

He raised his head. 

"How do I know you didn't just make this all up on the spot?" 

Jack looked at Pino. Not a smile, not a frown. A neutral expression. He placed the cards on the table. 

A neat little pile.

“I suppose you don’t.”

Pino tilted his head in thought. Well, that was an answer. Maybe he got something out of this. Maybe it was all made up.

Who knows? Not him.

Pino flinched suddenly.

"How do I pay you?" he whispered.

Jack smiled and placed his hands on the table. He leaned over. The smell of roses overtook Pino's senses as ice blue eyes were much too close.

He forgot how to breathe.

"Change your future, Pino." Jack smiled, "It's all in your hands."

Wide-eyed, Pino could only stare at the fortune-teller. This was a bit too much, the other was way in his personal space.

He couldn't even gulp.

A voice from outside.

"Pino? Where are you?"

Just like that, he was released from the hold of Jack's sky eyes. Pino stood up, turned around and ran outside.

He tripped up on rose vines but gained his balance. 

"Noki, Kio! Over here!"

The two missing brothers appeared in his view, running to him. They hugged him tight. 

"What happened, you just disappeared!" Noki said.

"Don't ever do that again!" Kio added.

He was one to talk. But Pino was relieved.

"I think I just got lost," he pets both of their hats. "But I found this place." 

Noki and Kio both faced the tent.

"The rose garden!" Kio said, delighted.

"We saw it from far away. Imagine if we hadn't noticed it!" Noki added.

Rose garden?

Pino turned to look. The tent glowed with its red roses, the table in the middle now empty.

Where did…?

He looked up at the sign he had missed before.

_The rose garden ___

__

__His mind became full of questions, but he just shook his head. He did not want to think about them._ _

__Kio suddenly clapped his hands together._ _

__"Oh! You made yourself a boutonnière! That's cute, you match the garden!"_ _

__Pino looked down at his shirt. In its pocket was the flower of a red rose. He couldn't feel any thorns, so they must have been cut off._ _

__He touched it with his hand._ _

__"Uh...It was given to me, actually."_ _

__Well, at least he thought it was._ _

__Noki and Kio exchanged glances._ _

__"Let's go home for the day, okay?" Pino chuckled. "I'm all tired out."_ _

__Noki simply shrugged._ _

__"If you say so."_ _

__The triplets began to move, steps taking them further and further away from the circus grounds._ _

__Pino looked back to the tent, seeing Jack wave at him._ _

__He raised his hand, waving back. Was he waving at an illusion or not? Did it matter?_ _

__"Pino, why'd you stop?" Noki called to him._ _

__"No reason!" He yelled back. He turned, quickly catching up to his brothers._ _

__Perhaps they should go to the circus more often._ _

**Author's Note:**

> Day 12: Red rose of @redshoesmonth2020's (tumblr) Red shoes prompt month.


End file.
